Case Study
The Great British Bake Off: Our recipe for a successful sync
On Your Marks, Get Set… Sync!
The ‘Great British Bake Off’ returns to our screens in the UK this week for its ninth series. Once again, Timecode Systems products are working behind the scenes making sure every soggy bottom and ingredient mishap is captured and logged with frame accurate precision.
The ‘Great British Bake Off’ is a classic example of where our wireless sync solution can really make a difference in terms of saving time on set and in the edit suite
“Every contestant in the baking competition is mic’d for sound, multiple cameras are operated around the location poised to capture the spontaneous moments that drive the storylines of the show. With large volumes of content captured from multiple sources, combined with long shooting days, this show is a great example of how our system helps keep things simple when shoots get complicated.”
Paul Scurrell, CEO of Timecode Systems
An easy rig
Timecode Systems’ wireless workflow solution has been used on ‘Great British Bake Off’ since day one of the show. Last series saw them make the switch from using the :minitrx+ to the UltraSync ONE – a smaller and lighter timecode generator that has been particularly popular with camera operators on the show. In addition, they also trialed the use of a custom right-angled USB charging cable for the UltraSync ONE in the last series, which allowed UltraSync ONEs to stay rigged to cameras for the duration of the series, with no need to remove units at the end of a shooting day for charging.
They used the same set-up for series nine of the show, with a :pulse providing the master timecode for each shoot, feeding frame-accurate timecode to UltraSync ONEs attached to each camera and sound source. This meant sync was robust for the duration of the shooting day – however long it turned out to be – with no need to re-jam units. In addition, using a :pulse allowed the team to connect their workflow to the BLINK Hub app so they were able to keep a close eye on their workflow.
Our recipe for a successful sync
With ‘Great British Bake Off’, the biggest competitive format show currently in broadcast, using the simple recipe of :pulse and UltraSync ONE, it’s no surprise that it’s become the chosen mix across this genre of programme making. Most of the UK’s biggest location-based competitive format shows now opt for the :pulse and UltraSync ONE as their preferred timecode combination – including ‘Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year’, ‘Bake Off: The Professionals’, ‘Tattoo Artist of the Year’ and ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ .
“The post production teams for these shows process thousands of hours of video and audio footage delivered from many separate cameras and sound recorders. The robust timecode and genlock capabilities of the :pulse and UltraSync ONE make it is the preferred choice for managing more complex multicamera workflows, when absolute sync is so crucial to the edit process.”
Paul Scurrell, CEO of Timecode Systems
The :pulse and UltraSync ONE are also used widely across other multicamera entertainment formats, including ‘Hunted’ (Channel 4), ‘The Apprentice’ (BBC), ‘The Island with Bear Grylls’ (Channel 4), ‘Geordie Shore’ (MTV), ‘Ex on the Beach’ (MTV), and ‘Living History series: Back in Time for, Secret Agent Selection, Factory Girls’.
